How is the new capital city assigned? the most population?

[wobuffet]

Considering its importance (esp with the Science victory, say), the automatic reassignment of a new city to be the Capital is surprisingly ill-documented. Shouldn't this be a strategic decision left to the player?

 

[GfxJG]

As far as I know, it's the city left that was founded first. Or rather, before the others. But yes, it should be left to the player. But really, if you lose your capital, you've pretty much already lost.

 

[wobuffet]

Ah, that'd make sense too.

But really, if you lose your capital, you've pretty much already lost.

Definitely not true – especially with the diplo victory, for example.

 

[joncnunn]

The exceptions that I can think of are all cases in which it doesn't really matter where your capital is relocated to.

UN Victory with the UN already built. In this case even if you lost possession of the UN (if it was in your capital), you only need one extra city state to win; so unless you get completely wiped out you can win without your capital if you hold on to even one city until the vote.

Cultural if you already have Utopia built (and it's been built somewhere outside the capital you just lost. Must also be a city your not likely to lose.)

I think your completely hosed going for science victory if you lose your capital as you'll have lost all the parts that have already been sent to the capital.

 

[FlowKey]

I agree that it doesn't make that much difference. Even if you strictly speaking haven't lost the game when you lose your capital, I'd still feel like the moral loser.

Have you ever played civ's 1-3? You could always pick a new capital by building a new palace. This was essential because of the enormous corruption... whole strategies (exploits?) were based on location of the capital, esp in 3 ...

 

[BigChiefLizzy]

I agree that it doesn't make that much difference. Even if you strictly speaking haven't lost the game when you lose your capital, I'd still feel like the moral loser.

Have you ever played civ's 1-3? You could always pick a new capital by building a new palace. This was essential because of the enormous corruption... whole strategies (exploits?) were based on location of the capital, esp in 3 ...

Not sure if it was Civ 2 or Civ 3, but could you build the forbidden palace late game, reduced corruption in nearby cities (so production + gold increased?). But, it was best not to build it far away because it would take ages to build because of the corruption you were trying to stop

So you built it right next to your capital, and when it's built build the palace (capital) at a fraction of the production cost in another continent miles away

 

[AznWarlord]

Not sure if it was Civ 2 or Civ 3, but could you build the forbidden palace late game, reduced corruption in nearby cities (so production + gold increased?). But, it was best not to build it far away because it would take ages to build because of the corruption you were trying to stop

So you built it right next to your capital, and when it's built build the palace (capital) at a fraction of the production cost in another continent miles away

Forbidden Palace corruption reduction helped, but wasn't too good. When you get to communism and start laying down Police HQ's, then it started to pick up, although I'm trying to wrap my head around how a Communist Police HQ helps to reduce corruption.

 

[joncnunn]

Well, FP behavior changed between Vanilla and Conquests CD version. Then changed around a few times after that before settling down.

Eventually it came down to get a WLTPD and a Courthouse built in the intended city that also had hammers. Then even with approx 50% wastage you could build a FP in a reasonable timeframe and have it still far enough away to form a second ring. Others though advocated the palace hop, while still others burned their first Military Great Leader on it.

Not sure if it was Civ 2 or Civ 3, but could you build the forbidden palace late game, reduced corruption in nearby cities (so production + gold increased?). But, it was best not to build it far away because it would take ages to build because of the corruption you were trying to stop

So you built it right next to your capital, and when it's built build the palace (capital) at a fraction of the production cost in another continent miles away

 

[AznWarlord]

For those of you who didn't have Civ3 also note that the Forbidden Palace was a National Wonder.

 

[FlowKey]

build the palace (capital) at a fraction of the production cost in another continent miles away

That's indeed the strategy/exploit I was referring to. A new palace for newly conquered land to get it to produce.

anywho ... back to OP ....
point is: ever since corruption per city based on distance to capital was replaced by the more general effects of high unhappiness of large empires, location of the capital became less important and I guess therefore ill documented.